Tee'd Off Over PASD's Meadowbrook Golf Course Acquisition

Family members and the public filled a PASD Board Meeting Thursday to let the school board know they see problems coming with the takeover of the Meadowbrook Golf Course.

The clock is now ticking on the PASD take-over by the law of eminent domain of the 52 acre site next door to the new Phoenixville Area Middle School and Phoenixville Area High school building and athletic field complex. The private nine hole golf course on Campbell Lane is completely within the boundries of Schuylkill Township.  The PAMS and PAHS property straddles the border of Schuylkill Township and the Borough of Phoenixville.

While only four people, including a member of the Campbell family got up to speak against the land take over, the meeting room was packed with supporters of the Campbell family and the golf course who came as a show of solidarity in opposition.

"I just wanted to let you know that I am very very disappointed," Joanne Campbell Brown told members of the school board and administration during Thursday night's meeting. "That land has been in my family since 1896 when my great-grandmother bought it.. We have been good citizens of this country and the district and I am just so disappointed.  I canot bring myself to believe that it's going to go out of the family."  On the sale price of the property Campbell-Brown told the board "you're way off with your assesment of the amount of money that it is worth because three and three quarter million is nowhere near what it's worth.  As far as I'm concerned, it's worth hundreds of millions."

If the two sides cannot agree on a price the final sale price will be set by an independent review panel and a judge who will then tell the district and the family what the land will be sold for.

The PASD and Campbell famiy are far apart on a price right now and the Brice Campbell says the family is contemplating a legal fight to stop the sale.  So that means, as of now, the sale price review process will begin in December.

The board's vote to acquire the land by eminent domain was taken on Thursday, November 14th.  That voted started the clock on the 30 day period  negotiation period.  Golf club operator and co-owner Bruce Campbell tells Patch the family and the school board "haven't talked yet." Campbell says he is talking to a lawyer about the entire sale.  "Me selling it, the family selling it, that's one thing.  This is another. I think it's wrong on so many fronts. It's sickening.

• Read much more in Patch's interview with Bruce Campbell here on Phoenixville Patch.